Good to see this

P Sainath wins the Magsaysay Award

A good test match

for India. 63 more runs to win. Should be done comfortably. This will be one of those famous wins overseas. Hopefully this time they will manage to hold the lead and win the series

Update: We win!!

Indian press

Sensationalizing at its best
Read this on the Zak jelly bean issue

Splendid

My fortune
"The Moon is still opposite your sign today, reflecting your need to be more involved with others now, even if they are confusing you. Don't
just let them distract you from your feelings. Invite them to join you in quiet time so you can benefit from the richness of shared imaginative realms. You have been given a spiritual elixir, but whether you take the journey is your choice."

Could not help but laugh

So hilarious

"If you die a virgin, in heaven you have to have sex with a terrorist."
via indiauncut

India trip

My shopping for the India trip has begun. Also, I am planning a number of things to do in India. I plan to watch a number of movies. I have to create a list on English and Hindi movies to watch with my sister. Also, I need to make a list of books I need to buy for her. some i can take from here. Some I will buy in India. Of course I do need to take a lot of cosmetic stuff. I need to give more thought about other stuff to take home.

What pity!!

What can you say about this?

"July 29th 1892

Birth of the luckless Dr Roy Park. It's said that when his wife dropped her knitting at Melbourne in 1920-21, she missed her husband's entire Test career as a batsman. He'd been kept up all night before his debut for Australia against England, and was dismissed by the only ball he faced in Test cricket."

A Nice article

on the now rare breed of Test number 11's.
from Cricinfo

People and their idiosyncracies

You know people for a long time. You know what they like what they don't, things that matter to them, their idiosyncrasies and many qualities that you do not like in them. You learn to live with the positives and negatives and work towards moving forward. Yet so many times, in spite of knowing how a person would act in a particular situation the person's actions make you wildly angry. My problem with this anger is, you all along knew it, so why get angry. You expected it right? instead of being angry you should handle it better. However, I handle it worse because i am angry even before the person acts. Anyway have to change this!!

Before that I have work to complete.

After a lot of effort

Finally I moved into our new apartment. It was a tedious task of 4-5 days of stupid work. But now I am done with my stuff. So can just relax and get used to my new home. I hope I will have a good time here

A good one

"I don't understand the meaning of moral victories" -- Saurav Ganguly

Watching cricket

It is so difficult (and painful) to see the way the Indian batsman play overseas. Utterly ridiculous ways of getting out!!

Jaggery

Yeah, you read it right. It is jaggery. I am big fan of jaggery. As a kid I remember eating lots of jaggery with ground nuts and sometimes just pure jaggery. It was so good. Finally after so many years I am doing that. Somehow the jaggery with its distinct sweetness appeals to me. So even though I have grown up I will continue eating!!

Richie Benaud at his best

Watch the video...... especially the last words from benaud at the end

What can you do when its as tough as this

David Loyd on his Australian tour
"Lloyd wrote letters to his mother during that series, one where England went down 4-1 after being dismantled by Lillie and Thomson. “I remember writing a letter saying, ‘I got a half-volley today for the first time in three months and have no clue what to do with it. All the rest have been bouncers’. "

Another Saturday

As every saturday yesterday we played volley and it was fun and tiring. I remember diving once full stretch and falling so hard on the sand. But it felt great!! Would love more such dives!!

Now back to work again

After a long time

a full scale night out. I have been up till 5 most of this week. However, today for the first time i am till 6.32. It is actually a nice feeling.
Anyway.

Nice piece on Geoffrey

Boycott, one of my favorite commentators

Good one there

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan's take on Indian bowling on the first dat at Lords
"India's weakest link kept them afloat. Now whether that's a good thing or a bad one is anybody's guess."

Really scary

fortune:

You continue to move forward with your life with great intent, but it's wise to stop long enough to take stock of what you have accomplished. Take the necessary time to analyze what you truly want and reevaluate your plan to reflect your adjusted desires. Don't worry if joy seems out of reach now. Do what you must while believing that the good times will return.

How will the reservation problem be ever solved

Everybody has their reservations

Finally somebody talks sense

comparing dravid vs tendulkar

An interesting perspective on

rupee value appreciation by niranjan

A while

Haven't blogged for a while by my standards. Have been on a trip to DC, Pittsburgh, Buffalo and back. It was slightly hectic what with mails from my advisor and night outs and lack of sleep. But I enjoyed every bit of it. As I have been realizing more and more off late there is nothing better than meeting your undergrad friends. Somehow there is a sense of understanding and respect for one another. Also got a chance to meet a senior who recently got married. Man!! he was awesome and I am happy for him and wish him a very happy married life.

Niagara was fun and beautiful. The power of the great waters make you intoxicated. I loved it while it lasted. Then the night out at Buffalo and time with my friend were also nice. Of course the great hospitality at psp's home with his mom cooking great food was as usual unbelievable.

Now that I am back here I have lots of stuff to do and occasionally it scares me. But now I feel better I have deadlines to work, so I can work without any thoughts.

Back to it then

A very interesting perspective

into the Musharaff angle. Something I never expected

A very good analysis

of the different directions chosen by cricket and tennis (or Wimbledon rather) on Cricinfo by Tim de Lisle

Very good news

Today i woke up to hear a great news from my sister. She got placed in Patni Computers. I am very happy for her!! Her happiness and excitement made it even sweeter. Her hard work has paid off. I guess it is a great feeling to get a job!!

Wimbledon 2007

Well, what a Wimbledon it was.

Roger Federer was going for his 5th Wimbledon. Under immense expectations and pressure he played a thriller of a match against Rafael Nadal. Clearly, the match was close but Fed held his nerve at the most important moments and made it to the finish line. Now, I think a huge burden is off his shoulders (off mine too). He has proved that he is the best ever Wimbledon champion by winning it 5 successive times. Also, he has seen Nadal improve as a grass court player. However, from next year Federer will not have to fight the pressure of making it 5 in 5. Now that he has achieved it he can play more relaxed and may be improve his game further. Lets see.

The weekend was very tense and for me it was as if I am playing the final. I don't know how Federer can handle all the pressure. Jut being a fan is so emotionally draining. For the entire duration of the match I sat like an idiot so tense that I would not have moved even if there was an earthquake. I decided to watch this final alone because it meant so much to me. And good that I did it. Because nobody will ever understand why it means so much to me. It is as if Federer is on war with my enemy and so there is no place for compassion or appreciation for the opponent. Most tennis fans appreciate both players (in this case Nadal). Appreciating an opponent when Federer is playing is sacrilege. He is the God of tennis. He looses points because he makes a mistake, not because someone creates an opportunity. He gives them a chance because of his mistakes. I know people will not accept this (I know it is upto them). But thats how I treat federer. Federer is a genius, an artist and much more. I cannot accept his defeat. (Please don't give me it is after all a sport argument!!)

For me he is the greatest tennis player ever to have played. I have had the privilege of watching Bjorn Borg and Pete Sampras. (I was not fortunate to watch Rod Laver or Roy Emerson). Among these three champions I have watched I am sure that Federer is the best. For me his victory gives utmost pleasure. This final will mark the end of my tension whenever he plays. From now on, I will enjoy his game like I did in the first two years of his meteoric rise. His great forehand, his wonderful backhand and those athletic runs he makes, the cross court passing shots he can hit, his sublime serve and most important of all Roger Federer the man!! Go Federer, Make your total grand slams beyond 20!!

Of course if there is a small thing missing that will be the French Open. I just hope he will win it some day!! For me thats immaterial and he is already the greatest tennis player whether he wins French or not.

Well, now I have one dream, before he retires I want to watch him play at Wimbledon ("The Championships" in tennis). The thought of watching him play at Wimbledon itself is unbelievable. I hope I can fulfill it.

A good post

by an Indian muslim LalBadshah on the recent attacks

Link via indiauncut

Awesome Video

Marion Bartoli

This simply makes her more affable

Bartoli in her speech after loosing on the greatest stage for a tennis player

"Then as her voice shook, she said she had “one person to thank and one
person only – my dad”. Dr Walter Bartoli, who introduced his daughter
to tennis at the age of six, nodded at her from the players box, and
then covered his eyes as his loving pride in his daughter overtook him."

There are few things that move you. That line from bartoli was one. Not that I haven't heard such lines, but the genuineness of the words makes it moving.

Anyway Bartoli, you have time on your side, just keep fighting miss!!

Well

looks like I got my answer.

Poor Roddick

is out of Wimbledon. This time it is because of a Federesque performance of Richard Gasquet.
The irony is he will face Federer. Lets see how it goes.

A stirring article

by Harsha Bhogle

A nice article

This is a very nice article portraying the wonderful relationship of parents and children. The article depicts the tensions associated with living far away from parents.

Soderling Vs Nadal

Soderling lost the match but what a fight it was. He served amazingly on tough points and finally he ran out of ammunition. Lets see how Wimbledon pan out from now on

A nice review

of AKS by greatbong

Swimming

I took a 2 week swimming course. They taught us ways to swim. However i felt I learned nothing. Today I went and worked on some things I learnt. I saw some progress (not much but a little). Hopefully in a month or two I hope to swim :P

Lets see.

Somethings to settle

There are so many things that I spend time on. Most of these are trivial and stupid reasons and I have to work on not wasting my time on such issues. anyway life moves on

Work

Work has not been very attractive of late. The reasons are not clear. I have to write a code and start estimation and do not feel like starting the work. I find ridiculous reasons not to work and especially with Wimbledon going on the reasons are abundant. Anyway....

Tomorrow is a b'day of my roommate. Also a friend from Cal is coming, so more reasons not to work. But hopefully by the weekend I will have something done!!

The day at SW19

is over adding to my frustration!!

Rain in England

is literally screwing up my day. If only it will stop soon and for 30 minutes!!

Long Hair

I don't know how many of you have tried to grow long hair. But there is something nice about it especially if you have hair that is slightly silky and bounces when you walk/run. I was running today and the bouncing of my hair was making me so happy. It is so cool. but unfortunately I can't see how cool it looks. I was planning to get a haircut sometime soon till today, now i have doubts. It is a topic I need to give more thought to.

Another 45 minute run completed. way to go dude!!

Nice article on screams in wimbledon

Read it if you know Maria Sharapova

Link via GK

Well

Some things are so screwed up, i never understand how they work. All you can do is sympathize.

A nice chat

It is very difficult to get to talk to a person these days because of the person's tight work schedule and commitments. But whenever I get to talk with the person it puts me so much at ease that I wonder i would be in a much better state if I am in regular touch. Life is weird so you got to accept it and move on.
I think I made a decision regarding some issues that have been bugging me off late and I just hope I can manage to control myself and work on them.

Safin

I like him even more after reading this

Iphone

It looks cool and i simply love it. If not for the price I would have purchased it (obviously I am a graduate student!!)

A nice review by lev grossman

A brief note I really liked
" Voice mail — you pick and choose visually what messages you want to hear — and Google Maps are ridiculously useful. The user interface is crammed with smart little touches — every moment of user interaction has been quietly stage-managed and orchestrated, with such overwhelming attention to detail that when the history of digital interface design is written, whoever managed this project at Apple will be hailed as a Michelangelo, and the iPhone his or her Sistine Chapel (Steve Jobs can be Pope in this scenario). If you're not a reviewer, chances are you won't even bother to look at the manual. Translucent, jewel-like, artfully phrased dialogue boxes come and go on cue. Window borders bounce and flex just slightly to cue the user where and how you're supposed to drop and drag and scroll them. When you switch the phone to "airplane mode" (no electronic transmissions, for use on planes) a tasteful little orange airplane slides into the menu bar, then zooms away when you switch out again. (This was so pleasurable that I repeatedly entered airplane mode while using the iPhone, even though I wasn't actually on an airplane.) As soon as my phone realized it belonged to someone with a nonsense-name like Lev, it started correcting typos like "Leb" and "Lec" to match."

Awesome one

You can take all the sincerity in Hollywood, place it in the navel of a firefly and still have room enough for three caraway seeds and a producer's heart.
    - Fred Allen

An interesting potrayala of Opera

Link via IndiaUncut

What am I doing

Why do I let stupid things affect me? I just dont understand!! How to stop it man?

Somethings affect you

I still cannot understand why somethings affect me so much. I am trying so hard. I feel I was a much cheerful person than what I am now. Right now I am a guy with temper. Why? what is affecting me so much. I have to end this stupid issue forever and that too very soon. I think I know how to and will do it!!

More importantly the fact that people take you for granted and do not seem to understand (or may be do not have the time to even think) what you go through you are wasting time. Its better late than never.

Impressed

Orkut fortune
"Your principles mean more to you than any money or success"

So true.